Alex Covic, program coordinator at ICT Hub business incubator– We lack entrepreneurial mentality

(Alex Covic)

ICT Hub, a business incubator for information and communication technologies will soon host the first members. The competition is open until September 16 for everybody with an idea in information and communication technologies and who want to implement it through their own business. Alex Covic, program coordinator at ICT Hub, in his interview for eKapija is speaking about the ICT Hub experience in project as well as about local and Estonian startup community and his experience with startups and accelerators.

eKapija: You emerged into startups in 2008 within Estonian Fortumo. How did the cooperation start and what experience did you acquire?

- I worked in a few IT companies and accidentally the cooperation in Estonia started. In 2008, the startup community in Serbia did not exist. A few 2010, startup community started developing in Serbia as well as meetings of technological entrepreneurs.

eKapija: How would estimate startup community in Serbia then and today?

- Only a year ago, startup community did not have gatherings which are very important for its development. In 2010/2011, the SEE ICT team started organizing events gathering entrepreneurs which is the base of the startup community which we have today. IT entrepreneurs are becoming more and more successful. Today, we have Nordeus which is globally important company, we have Startup Academy which schooled 8,9 companies which have investment.

eKapija: The most common problem an IT entrepreneur faces when starting up a company in Serbia is the fact that local administration does not understand the needs of this field. Apart from that, entrepreneurs outline that financial assets are mainly available but the problem is that they do not know a lot about entrepreneurship. What in your opinion is the biggest problem IT entrepreneurs face in the first company developmental stage?

- That’s true but I think the basic problem is that there was no one to teach them entrepreneurship. Technical knowledge is not an issue here, we have very good faculties but entrepreneurial mentality is the thing we should work on.

eKapija: You initiated the Popbox startup which is at the same time the first platform for contextual advertising on Internet in Serbia. What is your experience like as a co-founder of startup in Serbia?

- My colleague and I worked a lot on the platform but we did not have an impression there was a community we can discuss with. There were people dealing with it but there was no developed environment with and experience exchange option. Therefore, accelerators and incubators are a very good thing.

eKapija: How did you start cooperating in ICT Hub and what do you expect from the project?

- My role in ICT Hub is to provide support in programming field. I have a similar task at the Startup Academy project where the third generation has been enrolling already.

- ICT Hub is first of all "co-working" space, effective incubator where entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to turn their initial ideas into reality within 12 months, in relatively controlled and protected environment.

eKapija: Since 2012, you have worked as a mentor and a scout in Launchub Bulgarian accelerators . How will that experience help you in ICT Hub?

- I worked with a number of teams both in Launchub and the Startup Academy. That experience will help me although I have an impression I learn more from them. It is an interaction.

eKapija: The first entrepreneurs will move in in September in business premises in Zvezdara. When will they know they overcame the initial difficulties and will they have ICT Hub’s support after a year?

-They will know very fast. ICT Hub will enable them passing through the process faster and safer, not making obvious mistakes. The fact that they work for a year surrounded by teams and mentors makes inevitable connections which last even after the project finishes.

PANEL "STARTUP TIME IN SERBIA" SEPTEMBER 6

Alex Covic will be one of the hosts of the "Startup Time in Serbia" panel which will be held at Parobrod, on Saturday, September 6, 2014, from 12 – 13.30. The panelists will discuss current startup scene situation, potential for its growth and development focusing on the future of IT entrepreneurship in our parts.

Apart from our collocutor, Kosta Andric (Head of ICT Hub project) will be the host and Nebojsa Lazic ("StartLabs"), Nikola Vucicevic ("Brides2Bride") and Zoja Kukic ("Start it") will participate.

Irina Milosevic